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The Medieval Era
Caliphs, monks, poets, and conquerors who carried learning and power through the middle centuries.
Medieval era
Anna Komnene
December 1, 1083 – 1153
Byzantine princess and historian
Medieval era
Vladimir the Great
958 CE – July 15, 1015
Grand Prince of Kiev
Medieval era
Alexander Nevsky
May 13, 1220 – November 14, 1263
Political and military figure of Kievan Rus' (1246–1263)
Medieval era
Ivan III of Russia
January 22, 1440 – October 27, 1505
Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1462 to 1505
Medieval era
Otto the Great
November 23, 912 CE – May 7, 973 CE
Holy Roman Emperor from 962 to 973
Medieval era
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
December 26, 1194 – December 13, 1250
King of Sicily, Holy Roman Emperor (1194–1250, 1220–1250)
Medieval era
Pope Urban II
1035 – July 29, 1099
11th century pope and initiator of the Crusades
Medieval era
Godfrey of Bouillon
1060 – July 18, 1100
Medieval Frankish knight
Medieval era
Peter Abelard
1079 – April 21, 1142
French scholastic philosopher, theologian and preeminent logician (c.1079-1142)
Medieval era
Thomas Becket
December 21, 1119 – December 29, 1170
English archbishop and martyr, 1119/1120–1170
Medieval era
Henry II of England
March 5, 1133 – July 6, 1189
King of England from 1154 to 1189
Medieval era
Louis IX of France
April 25, 1214 – August 25, 1270
King of France from 1226 to 1270 (1214–1270)
Medieval era
Rollo
846 CE – 932 CE
10th-century Viking and Count of Rouen
Medieval era
Cnut the Great
994 CE – November 12, 1035
11th-century King of Denmark, Norway, and England
Medieval era
Harald Hardrada
1015 – September 25, 1066
King of Norway from 1046 to 1066
Medieval era
Harold Godwinson
1022 – October 14, 1066
Anglo-Saxon King of England in 1066
Medieval era
Erik the Red
950 CE – 1003
Explorer and founder of the first viking settlement in Greenland
Medieval era
William Marshal
1146 – May 14, 1219
Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman (1146-1219)
Medieval era
Edward III of England
November 13, 1312 – June 21, 1377
King of England from 1327 to 1377
Medieval era
Edward the Black Prince
June 15, 1330 – June 8, 1376
Prince of Wales (1330–1376)
Medieval era
Richard III of England
October 2, 1452 – August 22, 1485
King of England from 1483 to 1485
Medieval era
Henry VII of England
January 28, 1457 – April 21, 1509
King of England from 1485 to 1509
Medieval era
Catherine of Aragon
December 16, 1485 – January 7, 1536
First wife of Henry VIII of England (1485–1536)
Medieval era
Thomas Wolsey
1473 – November 29, 1530
English political figure, archbishop of York and cardinal-priest of Santa Cecilia (1473-1530)
Medieval era
Thomas Cromwell
1485 – July 28, 1540
English statesman and politician (1485–1540)
Medieval era
Lorenzo de Medici
January 1, 1449 – April 8, 1492
Italian politician, literary man and humanist
Medieval era
Cesare Borgia
September 13, 1475 – March 12, 1507
Duke of Romagna and former Catholic cardinal
Medieval era
Lucrezia Borgia
April 18, 1480 – June 24, 1519
Spanish-Italian duchess-consort of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio (1480-1519)
Medieval era
Girolamo Savonarola
September 21, 1452 – May 23, 1498
Italian Dominican friar and preacher (1452-1498)
Medieval era
Francis I of France
September 12, 1494 – March 31, 1547
King of France from 1515 to 1547 (1494-1547)
Medieval era
Skanderbeg
May 6, 1405 – January 17, 1468
Albanian noble and military commander (1405–1468)
Medieval era
Hayreddin Barbarossa
1478 – July 4, 1546
Turkish admiral (1478–1546)
Medieval era
Sundiata Keita
August 20, 1190 – 1255
Emperor of Mali
Medieval era
Abd al-Rahman III
January 7, 891 CE – October 15, 961 CE
Final Emir of Córdoba (r. 912–929); founder and 1st Caliph of Córdoba (r. 929–961)
Medieval era
Boabdil
1459 – 1533
Last Nasrid ruler of Grenada
Medieval era
Baibars
July 19, 1223 – July 1, 1277
4th Sultan of Egypt from 1260 to 1277
Medieval era
Krishnadevaraya
January 17, 1471 – 1529
Vijayanagara emperor from 1509 to 1529
Medieval era
Prithviraj Chauhan
1159 – 1192
12th century Indian king
Medieval era
Wu Zetian
February 17, 624 CE – December 16, 705 CE
Founding empress of Zhou dynasty (r. 690–705); de facto ruler of Tang dynasty from 665 to 690
Medieval era
Emperor Taizong of Tang
January 28, 598 CE – July 10, 649 CE
Chinese emperor of the Tang Dynasty (598-649) (r. 626-649)
Medieval era
Yongle Emperor
May 2, 1360 – August 12, 1424
Emperor of Ming dynasty China from 1402 to 1424
Medieval era
Minamoto no Yoritomo
May 9, 1147 – February 9, 1199
1st shogun of the Kamakura shogunate (1147–1199)
Medieval era
Ulugh Beg
March 22, 1394 – October 27, 1449
Timurid sultan, astronomer and mathematician (1394–1449)
Medieval era
Nasir al-Din al-Tusi
1201 – 1273
Persian astronomer (1201–1274)
Medieval era
Al-Kindi
801 CE – 870 CE
Muslim Arab philosopher, mathematician and physician (c.801–873)
Medieval era
Jabir ibn Hayyan
721 CE – 815 CE
8th-century Islamic alchemist and author
Medieval era
Al-Jazari
1164 – 1206
Mathematician and engineer from Jazira, Artuqid State (1164–1206)
Medieval era
Shen Kuo
1031 – 1095
Chinese scientist and statesman (1031-1095)
Medieval era
Luo Guanzhong
March 30, 1334 – 1400
14th-century Chinese writer
Medieval era
Saadi Shirazi
1210 – 1291
Persian poet
Medieval era
Giotto
1267 – January 8, 1337
Italian painter and architect (c. 1267–1337)
Medieval era
Fra Angelico
1400 – February 18, 1455
Italian Early Renaissance painter
Medieval era
Masaccio
December 21, 1401 – 1428
Italian painter (1401-1428)
Medieval era
Piero della Francesca
1415 – October 12, 1492
Italian painter and mathematician (c. 1416–1492)
Medieval era
Henry the Navigator
March 4, 1394 – November 13, 1460
Portuguese prince and governor (1394–1460)
Medieval era
Bartolomeu Dias
1450 – May 29, 1500
Portuguese explorer
Medieval era
Pedro Alvares Cabral
1467 – 1520
Portuguese military commander and explorer (c.1467/8 – c.1521)
Medieval era
Juan Sebastian Elcano
November 30, 1476 – August 4, 1526
Castillian Basque sailor, explorer, and circumnavigator with the Magellan Expedition
Medieval era
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
1475 – January 12, 1519
Spanish explorer, governor, and conquistador
Medieval era
Giovanni da Verrazzano
1485 – 1528
Florentine explorer of North America for France